Potted Cheddar with Bacon and Shallots

I have a thing for cheese. Real cheese. Sharp, salty, creamy. I have a thing for cheddar in particular. Cheddar so sharp it smacks you in the mouth.

And it’s that love that keeps me walking warily down the dairy case, even at my local health food store, where I eye deplorable hunks of milky, rubbery, dull cheese. Me? I want something that sings.

When I find it, whether at the farmers market or at cheese shops, I pay a pretty penny for it. I judiciously parse it out, a sliver at a time. I pair it with all sorts of lovely things: walnuts, honey, marmalade, mostarda.

A few months ago, I padded my way down the dairy case once more, scoffing again at rubbery rectangles of plastic-bound cheeses, and found something different. There, wrapped in papery sealed parchment marked Kingdom Cheese, sat a wedge of handcrafted, organic sharp cheddar.

Now, I’d been fooled before by the promise of “sharp” and authentic cheeses. But, I took the time to read the package: not only was it aged 10 months like a good cheddar should be, but the cows are raised on grass with supplemental non-GMO, organic feed. That’s my kind of cheese. And it was reasonably priced! So I plopped it into my basket, and hoped it didn’t disappoint.

Visiting the Farmers and Cheesemakers at Kingdom Cheese

Shortly after finding (and falling in love with) my first wedge of Kingdom Cheese, I happened across a contest hosted by Leah at Mamavation. I could win a trip to visit their farms, their cows on pasture, and check out their cheesemaking operation. So, having fallen for their cheese already, I threw my name into the ring. And you know what? I won!

So next week, my family is packing our bags and we’re headed over to the UK to visit the farmers of the cooperative that produce Kingdom Cheese. It’s an opportunity to see the farms in action, and to know that there really are farmers and companies out there that are producing foods with integrity: keeping their animals on pasture and producing food with respect to culinary and cultural heritage.

I plan to post many, many photos of the trip and their farms, animals and production facility to Nourished Kitchen’s social media streams, particularly instagram. So make sure you follow me there so you can check out the visit.

Why Grass-fed and Organic Matter

What is particularly exciting about Kingdom Cheese for me is not only that their cheese offers the sharpness I crave in real cheddar, but their farmers keep their animals on pasture. When cows are raised on pasture, they not only enjoy a healthier and more natural life in general, but that diet of grass makes their milk and cream, as well as the butter and cheese made from it, decidedly more nourishing than the milk, cream, cheese and butter from cows kept in confined dairies without access to fresh grass.

The milk and cream from grass-fed cows is extraordinarily rich in conjugated linoleic acid, a healthy fat with anticarcinogenic properties. It is also richer in fat-soluble vitamins like A, E and K2 than the milk of confined cows. Further, it offers a favorable ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids. It’s nutrient-dense.

Similarly, bacon from pigs raised outdoors on fresh pasture and beneath the sun, is also richer in nourishment than the meat and fat of pigs raised in confinement. Pasture-raised pork is particularly rich in vitamin D, which supports the immune system as well as fertility, and monounsaturated fats – the same “heart-healthy” fat found in olive oil and avocado.

In essence, by choosing grass-fed and pasture-raised meat and dairy products, foods we already eat and enjoy will provide us with a richer source of nourishment, particularly good fats and vitamins.

Potted Cheddar with Bacon and Shallots

So, I’ve paired cheddar and cream and bacon together with caramelized shallots and sherry for one of my favorite dishes: Potted Cheddar with Bacon and Shallots. It’s extraordinary, filling and rich – something you make to share. And, when made with good-quality ingredients from pasture-raised animals, it likewise offers not only rich flavor, but also a plethora of wholesome fats and fat-soluble vitamins.

The combination of bacon, heritage organic, grass-fed cheddar and caramelized shallots blends together beautifully for a satisfying potted cheese spread. It assembles in about a half hour. I spread it against homemade crackers or toasted sourdough bread, or take it along to potlucks and holiday parties.

Melt ghee in a pan and fry bacon over medium-high heat until cooked through and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, and set the strips on a pan to cool slightly. Drain the bacon fat, and reserve two tablespoons in the pan.

Decrease the heat to medium-low. Toss the shallots into the hot fat, and saute them until deeply fragrant and browned, about 15 minutes.

Combine bacon and cheddar in a food processor and pulse until well-blended. Add the cream, shallots, and sherry to the bacon and cheddar, and continue to process them together until they form a smooth, spreadable paste.

Spoon the cheese spread into a jar or into ramekins, and either serve right away or store, carefully covered, in the fridge for up to a month. Remember to bring the potted cheddar to room temperature before serving, and spread over crackers or bread as an appetizer or starter.

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That’s so unfortunate that the spread came out bland. When I’ve prepared it, it’s definitely not spicy but neither is it bland. It’s rich, smoky and salty. Did you make sure to use a raw, sharp cheddar cheese or pasture-raised bacon? A mild cheese would definitely change the flavor, making it more bland. Also, if you sweated the shallots but didn’t caramelize them, it might change the flavor of the spread. Give it another shot and let me know how it turns out.

I made a triple batch. One third went in our fridge for our New Year’s celebration. One third was gifted to a very picky eater friend of ours and one third fed us in the car on the way to our family Christmas. Oh my, but it was good. I had to rename it though, because hubby said, “Potted cheddar sounds like it has dirt in it and a flower growing out of it!” So, here it’s Jenny’s S&S Cheese Spread (S&S for smoky and savory.)

I am a celiac and have recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and Vitamin d deficiency. I have really been working on gluten free breads that I am not just enduring but actually desire to eat. A I troubleshoot this process I am left with an abundance of gfree breads. Thanks so much for this delicious looking way to use some of that up. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Have a great day!

Hi Jenny, I just so love when your recipes come up in email or face book. Looking at this recipes I don`t see the need for butter to fry the bacon. I bake my Bacon – Hickory Smoked (Pastured Pork) Do you think it necessary? I rather add softened butter to the mix. so I don`t discard any with the bacon fat. Let me know what you think?
Rita

I’ve made this twice this fall. I do add a little bit of garlic in when I cook the shallots. And I am not shy with the bacon grease (I don’t really drain it.) It’s been a huge hit! I also purchased some little half-pint jars to put it in. It’s so lovely, I had family members wondering if I bought it at the farmer’s market! Thanks for the lovely ideas!

I made this today for the weekend and it is fabulous! I used a goat cheddar but I couldn’t find a sharp one so used a mild one. I also subbed goat yogurt for the heavy cream as I am cow dairy intolerant. I had to add more cheese to it though because the sherry was a bit strong. When I make it again I will use only 1 tbsp of sherry if it is a mild cheese again and I think that will be perfect. After I added the extra cheese it was wonderful!! Thanks, Jenny for such a simple, delightful recipe! We will all enjoy it immensely this weekend.

I did it!I chopped the shallots into Tony paper thin pieces and watched carefully while sauteing them. I figured the blender would have difficult time with them otherwise. Also I crumbled the bacon into blender. It turned out great! had pushed down pulse freq but it worked and did not over heat blender. My kids our loving it!